


Digging in

by AwatereJones



Series: Crawlers [2]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alt Verse, Drama, Gen, Horror, Humor, Sci-Fi, Suspence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-05 21:43:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14627628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwatereJones/pseuds/AwatereJones
Summary: So ... here comes Jack. Fanfare please...only ... Ianto isn't so sure about these people in his house acting like they own the place and as for the monsters .. well ... might be better to just stay in bed and pull the covers over his head.





	1. Chapter 1

The SUV skidded to a halt and Ianto remained on the porch seated in his Grandy's old chair, the shotgun laid across his knees.

The Captain was the first out of the vehicle with a wary look that changed to a smile, "Hi there, we were looking for the people who lived over there."

"Gone" Ianto said as he rose and placed the shotgun on the seat to show he was abandoning it, "I put them down a few nights ago Captain, the pyre around the side was their bodies."

The Captain nodded then slowly turned on his heel to regard Ianto as the passenger door opened and the little rat faced man struggled out, Ianto also struggling with the name. Ah. Yes.

"Doctor Harper right?"

Everyone froze.

"The youngest child, a little two year old toddler is in the barn in a sow cage. I couldn't put her down, couldn't bring myself to do it. Thinking you might be trying to catch one for a closer look" Ianto said calmly, "I would take some food with me though she's quicker than a rattle snake, almost got me and I am pretty fast."

"Very to have our names already" the Captain said slowly.

"Jones. Ianto Jones, Torchwood One, I am…was I guess…was one of Yvonne's assistants. We spoke on the phone occasionally Captain Harkness, you propositioned me last time you were at the tower. I wore a Smokey grey suit with apple green tie. You asked for a bite."

Jack stared and then started to snigger as he pointed, "I remember you. You put me on my arse."

"Yes sir, I did" he smiled, "Her Nibs was most pleased, gave me and my intended the week off whenever we chose. Lucky me, not there when this went down."

"And your intended? Ah…. Lisa?" Jack asked, giving the game away as Ianto smiled and turned to the SUV.

"Ms Sato, is mainframe still up? So, only London burned?" he called, "Is Cardiff over run as well? I have a sister I was concerned about in London but didn't want to initiate contact in case there were listeners on the frequencies."

Toshiko looked out at him and smiled sadly, sliding out and placing aside the tablet she had been reading to Jack from, "Cardiff is gone too. London was rendered ash I am afraid."

"Bugger. Its OK, I had suspected" he sighed, "It's just the kids… a niece and nephew I thought about. Hard not to, I had to throw two children on that pyre along with their mother and grandparents."

Jack thrust his hands in his pockets, "But not your Lisa?"

Quick this one.

"No. She has her own pyre, she came back while I was burning them. It took a while to kill her I'm afraid. Harder when it's someone you once loved" Ianto pointed, "That Pyre over there is hers. I didn't want her with them, she was still … human. Mostly. The turn was just staring so she hadn't quite torn her own face off."

"See?" Owen blurted, "I told you they did that to themselves."

"The little one hasn't, well not since I checked" Ianto pointed at the barn and Owen took off with glee. "Happy little chap."

Jack laughed before he could stop himself, watching the Welshman as he slowly pivoted to watch Owen, then tilt his head to smile back at Jack before resuming his bland look.

Scared.

Jack looked at the SUV, "Come on team. Let's do what we do best."

"What's that" came a soft laugh as Susie finally got out and looked around, "Kill something?"

"Do not" Jack pouted as he glared at her.

"No, true. You shag some of them first" she amended as Jack gasped with fake horror.

Ianto smiled, "Come in and set up whatever just pleas edon't let the cat out in my room upstairs."

"A cat man are you?" Jack asked as he entered and Ianto opened the door letting Crypto out. The dog immediately raced to pee in the new tyres. "Ah. Dog man too. Good, they are good at detecting these things."

"I've only seen them in the dark, do they move in the day?" Ianto asked, "The one you were chasing must have been."

"Yeah, but that was a fresh turn" Susie explained as she hefted out some bags, "After the moon has hit their skin it won't move in light again."

"Thought so" Ianto nodded, "Cuppa?"

"Oh my god" Suzie groaned happily, "Thank fuck we found a real Welshman. Yes please Mister… I forget."

"Ianto. Just Ianto is fine. Suzie right? I sent you those pieces of Carinthia ship Her Nibs told me to incinerate" Ianto smiled "I knew you would keep quiet."

"Shit, it's you!" she declared with shock, seeing him for the first time.

They went in and began clearing the front room, turning it into a working office space as Jack looked over at Ianto, motioning him aside, "Come walk with m."

"OK Mister Jones, you, me and this dog. Tell me what you've seen" Jack demanded and Ianto took a deep breath.

Time for a debrief?


	2. I remember you now

"So the roadblocks were in place" Jack said as he listened.

"I used my Torchwood Creds to get out, I knew something was happening and didn't want to be there in the middle of it. My girlfriend had told me she was pregnant and was my first concern. I now know she was telling porkies. I now know a lot of things I suspected but didn't want to admit" Ianto sighed, "Short story is … the neighbour's daughter and kids turned, then they did. Then Lisa did. I haven't and am unsure why. I touched them, drank and ate the same, breathed the same. No sign of infection."

Jack nodded, "Maybe a quarter are not affected"

"So … maybe some illness we had as a child? Blood type" Ianto wondered.

"Not the blood type, Owen considered that as well" Jack watched the dog chase a rabbit "Maybe a childhood illness…. Do you still have your tonsils?"

"Of course not, Torchwood removes them" Ianto snorted then frowned, "Lisa. Wait, Appendix? If that were true she would not have….wait. No scar. She hadn't had hers out? Have you got yours still?"

Jack swung and strode towards the house "TOSHIKO Get the medical records for Lisa Hallett T1. Did she have an appendectomy or not."

Tosh worked silently, her fingers dancing as she checked and called back what they suspected, "No. No surgery."

"Well, all of us had it done, all of us are immune" Owen said with his arms folded, "Thought so. Are those chickens for eating?"

Everyone turned to look at Owen with surprise, his face telling them he didn't care what they thought, his only interest in Ianto who grinned back. Owen went to see if he could catch one.

"There are several already hanging, was gonna freeze them…."

"Holy shit, you got a freezer?" Suzie blurted.

"Solar as well as turbine power" Ianto nodded, "Can power Toshiko's stuff, also have more to hook up. Panels to go on the barn. I was worried about them being visual from the sky but so far no planes or drones so maybe there is no one looking, the world ending and all."

"Agreed" Jack swung to Suzie, "Make it so."

"Oooo, so… Captainy" Ianto said before he could help it and everyone sniggered as Jack looked over at him with amusement. Quick this one.

"What the next closest place" Toshiko asked as she searched the satellite maps, Owen coming back empty handed.

"There's a thatched cottage that doesn't show from the air, like one of those ones dug into the sod" Ianto pointed, "There. A young hippy couple lives there, a baby I think. I mean, last time I spoke to Nainny she was due so … Nainny has been dead nigh on six months so … she must have popped it out."

Jack grimaced and then regarded Ianto some more, "So. You car is toast, how are you getting around?"

"Grandy had an ATV out back, I also took the dune buggy from next door before I torched the place. Of the two I would recommend the ATV as it doesn't leave tracks like the Buggy does." Ianto said as he guessed the reason for the question, "I know a river bed we can traverse, no trace we were there."

"So, you are talking like they have a brain, they clearly don't" Owen frowned but Jack nodded.

"Not everyone is changed, you said yourself. We have about quarter the population still kicking. Think they are all scared and confused? You don't think maybe some are simply arming themselves for war?" Jack asked calmly, "Raping and pillaging to start when the bell chimes?"

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls" Ianto muttered as he pushed off from the wall he had been leaning in and he headed to the barn knowing Jack was following.

The child was in the cage watching them silently and Jack took a moment to stare back then he turned to watch Ianto who was leaning over the engine bay of the ATV. Shit. Jack blinked as he noted the nice arse and rounded hips, the man needed a bit of feeding but damn, he had the potential for a lovely figure.

"Gonna look at my arse all day or come help unload some of this crap I have on here?" Ianto asked as he straightened and moved to the back, "Things we might not want others to know we have. Just take weapons and some extra fuel. Maybe fresh water to offer as I am sure they don't have a well."

"OK" Jack shrugged off his coat which Ianto glanced at.

"And if you leave that out I will wash it and mend that torn pocket" Ianto offered, "Grandy was a master tailor before he retired, all his kit is here."

"Really?" Jack asked with genuine surprise, "It's authentic ya know."

"I know, you flew" Ianto nodded, "Seen the files. You've been here such a long time and you must be so sick of watching us repeatedly blow our brains out."

Jack looked at Ianto as who seemed to balk, "Shit, sorry Sir, I didn't ….er… shit. I forgot about Alex."

"Well, you do know a lot" Jack finally said.

"Edidic memory" Ianto sighed, "I read a file and retain it whether I want to or not I'm afraid. One of the thing Her Nibs liked."

"Yvonne."

"Mmmm"

"Well, I like your recall too" Jack said as he pulled a crate from the back of the ATV "in the field Tosh can't always access mainframe, having someone who can remotely is an advantage."

"Funny you say that sir" Ianto snorted, "She forbade me from the field after I blew the first thing up she wanted."

"The Bollit Chrystal? That was you?" Jack snorted, "I was so amused by that. She must have blown a boiler."

"Meant that bloody Ghost Machine thing can't work" Ianto sighed, "Almost saved the world. Shame."

Jack decided he liked this man.


	3. The Z word

Owen was gleefully riding shotgun as Jack tore along the river bed, Ianto sitting on the hood of the ATV pointing where to go like a really attractive hood ornament.

At first Jack had been worried but now saw he was worrying for nothing as Ianto seemed to be a limpet. A little voice whispered that his Grandy probably let him do this since he was little and he was well used to it, probably great for night shooting.

Ianto was motioning for him to slow and he obliged, watching the hand move and he swung that way then came to a halt. Ianto swung to look back at him, "Ahead, over that rise. Think we need to peek rather than jump up."

Jack agreed, Owen staying with the ATV as the two men crawled up to look over the rise at the house that did resemble an old thatch and sod house. Well, one with a door ripped off.

"Damn" Ianto sighed.

"Listen" Jack whispered and they took a moment, "A baby."

"Shit" Ianto paled, "It must be infected, no way it's immune. Right? Besides, they left it. If it were still human they would have attacked. Right?"

They rose and approached with caution, weapons out and Jack watched the way Ianto swept with that training that showed him to be not only competent but tight.

The baby was in the crib and they both stood looking down with horror at the little monster snarling and gumming at them.

"Even that size, it wants to eat us" Ianto sighed, "Like it's hardwired to attack. Are they afraid, or is it an anger? Like, they are pissed and we must pay?"

"Too little to know fear so it's not a fear thing, I don't know" Jack said.

"Fuck"

They tuned to Owen who was pale and shaking as he looked at it, "Kill it."

"If there's a cure?" Jack asked.

"It's already chewed its own finger off, look at its hands" he said and they did, no blood.

"No blood" Ianto said out loud, "Why not."

"Don't know, they bleed slower?" Own shrugged, "Shit. Just… I can't stand that noise. It might being its parents back."

Ianto grunted as Jack pulled the trigger, the skull exploding like an overripe pumpkin and the innards were black muck. Ianto grimaced as Owen cursed and leaned over the crib to watch the oozing.

"There ya go then, the blood is congealing." He finally said as he moved away.

"I don't like it in here, no other exit" Jack said suddenly. "Let's leave, the parents might come back, or they might be heading for the house where we've left the women. Suzie is on duty and I've heard no gunfire but…still."

"Agreed" Ianto looked around not really wanting to take anything and they left the way they had come, silence for most of the ride.

Owen finally broke the silence, "We don't tell them about the baby"

"We have to" Ianto replied and Owen turned to Jack like Ianto hadn't spoken.

"We can't tell them."

Ianto leaned through the seats as he was now in the back, "They will know something happened, besides. What if a group comes with a baby? They will try to save it. What if it's turned and still strapped to it's equally turned mother. They will think they can save it. Either die trying to get it away from the mother or save it and cuddle it only to get attacked or something."

Owen stared at Ianto like he had grown an extra head.

"Tell me Mister Jones, how much have you had to do with Zombies?" Jack asked calmly and Ianot didn't answer, merely sat back.

"Zombies, no one said that word" Owen said after a few beats.

"No, but you knew it was coming" Jack spoke with a savage swing of the wheel, bringing the vehicle to a stop. "Ianto is right, I think from here on out we drop the bullshit and we are as transparent as we can be. Ianto, please."

"In the bowels of T1 there are some… they called them Zomboids" Ianto said as he sat back, "We were told not to go near them, they could contaminate. Whatever this is, it's airborne, at least that's my opinion. For all the people we've seen, Lisa had no contact. I was careful with my clothing and myself. I know the only way she was infected was through the air."

"I think so too. It was fast and it was total. People out here had no contact with others but still affected?" Owen nodded, "What we saw? If the parents were turned they would have killed the baby I reckon. They're changed, turned or whatever outside and then wandered off leaving the baby to finish turning too. Baby took longer as the air inside was stale, less ventilation."

"So… all children…" Ianto looked at Jack, "Is this an eradication?"

Jack shrugged. Owen looked interested so Ianto explained, "To kill off the rabbit population they created a virus tight? To kill off a pest you introduce something to kill them off without leaving bodies everywhere to upset the bleeding hearts, make them sterile and then simply watch them peter out. Let the bleeding hearts think it was humane that way."

Owen looked at Jack.

"He's right. All newborns will breathe the air. Unless they have a doctor there to do an appendectomy at birth while they are kept in a sterile room … all babies will be born and change regardless of their parents being human." Jack nodded, "He's right. This is a cleansing."

"Well …. Fuck."


	4. twenty two seconds

They ate in silence, the day wearing on and finally Owen settled on the old sofa and asked the question, "What can you tell us?"

Ianto had eaten little and Jack was starting to see that this was normal, the dog waiting patiently for the main bulk of the meal. Now Jack saw the fragile man hiding behind the efficient butler who was folding the napkin Owen had gaped at.

"Please Ianto, you said you knew of T1's Zomboids." Jack asked gently.

"I was down in the basement level with a file for one of the scientists … meaningless numbers to most" Ianto replied as he sighed, knowing this was something best got out and done with, "I only saw one and it was only momentary. It broke through the inner seal door, slammed against the outer glass door. They put it down. A matter of a few seconds and they told me to forget."

"No Retcon?"

"I'm immune. They've tried it before" Ianto snorted and Jack smiled, nodding as he had suspected this.

"Please, you know what you saw." Jack also knew he had to push or Ianto would retreat.

"It was… it reminded me of a body once rigor had fled, that moment between the first stiffness and the final settling of the flesh. The same gray skin and translucent layering, the hair was mostly gone. I don't know if it pulled it out of it sloughed away … just that it had fine wisps of what I think had been red. Redhead maybe…or it may have been blood." Ianto plucked at the napkin and Owen frowned.

"You said you only saw it for a few seconds." He accused.

"Twenty two" Ianto confirmed, "Twenty two seconds."

"Ianto has an edidic memory, why they knew he would not forget, told him to anyway. Why Retcon didn't work. Ianto never forgets do you, not a second of anything. Hell of a thing to have total recall... what a burden" Jack slid to the edge of his chair, "Come on, Twenty two seconds. Tell me."

Ianto closed his eyes as he pulled up those seconds and then began in a monotone like he was reading a report he had never written down "Subject appears to be approximately thirty years old at time of death. Teeth may have been intact at time of death but have since been smashed out ether by guards or subject did it himself. Male. Genitals intact, not circumcised. No pubic hair, no hair on arms or legs, or armpits. Like… dipped in boiling water. Eyes were …. Glazed, not quite focused but it moved with intent. The skin was lax, floppy like dehydration had set in, it craved something, was licking it's lips, smacking them together...they were cracked and peeling like it was dehydrated or something... and its hands were missing nails, torn off by scratching on the wall or door. It had torn a cheek open, or another had maybe."

"Twenty Two seconds and you got all that" Owen whispered.

"Shut up Owen, he's accessing" Jack hissed, "Go on Agent, what else."

"Welsh"

"How do you know that?" Suzie asked with shock, "Not alien in origin?"

"I've seen a few aliens and none of them supported the Welsh side" Ianto snorted, opening his eyes to look at her, his hand rising to tap his chest, over his heart, "It had a welsh dragon tattooed here. Right here. It had been a Welsh supporter in life."

"Shit" Jack flopped back, "They would never confirm the origins. Human."

"Yes. Definitely had been once" Ianto nodded, "What I remember most was the sound it made as it slammed against the glass, the frantic scrabbling like it needed to get out. A screeching roar."

They all sat silent for a moment then Jack asked, "You've heard it since."

"Yes. Lisa made it right before I cleaved her skull with the axe" Ianto grimaced, "The others had been fresh, but she had turned inside here while I was clearing them away. Had a few hours locked in here without me knowing she had turned. Her skin…. When I was fighting her it was moving like it was blubber … not attached to her bones."

"Gross" Suzie groaned, "Shit. You … where?"

"On the stairs. We started dancing in the kitchen and wound up there" Ianto gestured and Jack's head rose as he studied Ianto again, the strange usage of the word Dance to describe fighting was not what you would expect from an agent and Jack blinked slowly as he considered. He had heard it described as dancing before, in the Elite Squad.

"Ianto, who are you?"

"Agent Ianto Jones" Toshiko started to read his bio and Jack waved a hand to silence her.

"Ianto?"

"I was recruited for my mind, that edidic bent pleased Her Nibs no end. She wanted to know if I could be…. Advanced" Ianto spat the word out like it was poison. "Thos labs full of Zomboids? I spend my first few months there as they did tests and checks for 'health reasons' but I think they were gathering my DNA or something. I think they were trying to create a super solider or something. I spent that time between the lab and the field as Elite. Then … they benched me with hushed voices. Something had gone wrong, two others never came back up in the lift."

"And it went airborne but instead of super soldiers they got these" Owen said as he looked at Jack, "Zomboids mixed with … like … anthrax or something?"

"Or something" Jack pondered, "Makes sense it all originated from Canary Warf area. If came from Yvonne's own labs, why it took her so long to push the self destruct button."

Ianto made it to the loo before he started to vomit.

And here he had been annoyed that he had time off when this all started.

Christ.

If he had been at work he would have been dead already.


	5. bump in the night

Time for bed and Ianto had a new dilemma, deciding to simply let them sort themselves as he patted his high and started up the stairs, Crypto rising to follow as did Jack. Ianto didn't realise this until he got to his bedroom door and turned to close it. Finding Jack there.

"Sir?"

"Are you locking this?"

"Yes. I find that usually works best" he replied, "If I turn I will be contained as I believe they do not retain our memories therefore could not unlock a door. I have a fear of turning in the night. I wore protective clothing when I moved the bodies…the blood…I know we agree we are immune but…"

"A house full of strangers that come from the direction of the problem…it makes sense. I am going to suggest that we all lock our doors, are the bedrooms all lockable?" Jack looked across the landing at what had been Ianto's' room and he nodded.

"Yes sir, that was the room I shared with Lisa. I … her things are still there and I've not been able to clear them away I'm afraid" he grimaced.

"I will sleep there" Jack assured him, "The others can fight over the two other rooms. Knowing Owen he will take first watch downstairs anyway so the girls can have up here, then will wake me and take my warm spot in the bed. You OK with him in there?"

Ianto nodded, strangely touched that he was being asked about that, "More bedding in the cupboard in the hall, I don't know if it is colder or just the fact I am overtired that makes it seem so."

"Snow coming" Jack replied, "It's in the air."

"I believe so too, less than a week … two or three days I reckon" Ianto agreed as he stepped back for the door and went to close it, then glanced up at Jack looking him full in the eye, Jack was transfixed with the intelligence flaring before Ianto averted his gaze like he knew Jack could see it. "A gun under the pillow. Almost forgot to warn you, a little piece I had for…her. Toshiko would suit it."

"I will show it to her" Jack nodded, also knowing what it must cost to offer the weapon of the mate you had to put down to a stranger.

"Goodnight sir."

"Goodnight Ianto, and it's Jack."

.

.

.

.

.

Ianto sat up, canting his head as he listened. Crypto was still on the bed against his legs but the dog's head was raised, as were his hackles and his lips were peeled back in a silent snarl. Something had startled him as well so Ianto rose silently and headed for the door where he placed his head against it and waited.

There it was again.

It was not from in the house. Ianto looked back at the animals on the bed "Stay."

He slid from the room and met Jack in the hall pulling on a jacket as Ianto had remembered his promise to mend and wash the great Coat earlier in the evening and it was still drip drying in the back washhouse area. They shared a look and moved forward, Jack looking strangely Han Solo-like in the jacket with his dark hair mussed.

They made it to the bottom where they found Owen standing at the front door, his hands on it as he peered outside through the small glass partition.

"Move aside, I have good night vision" Ianto whispered as he reached out and hooked the man's jacket at the shoulder, pulling him back gently to take his place, "Turn out that light over there."

The place was plunged into darkness as Jack looked at Ianto intently, "What do those advanced eyes see?"

"Two. Maybe the parents?"

"Fuck" Owen huffed as he took a physical step back from the danger and straight into Suzie.

"The what?"

"The house we visited, the baby dead in the crib" Jack said without turning to face her, instead stepping in beside Ianto to let his own night vision scan, "The parents were gone and we suspected turned as well. Shit, there's one there…..the other?"

Ianto lifted a hand to point, "By the well."

"We can't have them near the water source" Jack sighed, "I will lure then away."

"Just because you can die doesn't mean you have to" Ianto said as he moved away from the warm body that had been against him and Jack turned to watch him hunker over the coffee table with the interest a cat shows a mouse. Jack glanced at the team who had no idea the comment's real meaning but Jack did, clearly Ianto knew a lot more than your average bear.

"Crossbow" Ianto rose with the coffee table slid to one side, the portion underneath full of weaponry, "Grandy liked the old ways. Silent, deadly and will not alert the other one to where the shooter is. I will go for one, you the other. Lure her away from the well's edge and we can put her down by the barn. He will come to see what she was following and I will put him down or maybe we can try to trap him but I would rather not, not in the dark. Owen has the child, let's not play with them too much."

"Agreed, I would rather be final" Jack nodded, "He looks strong."

"In life they both were" Ianto's' sadness showed as he sighed, "He was my cousin."

Ianto unlocked the door and stepped out.


	6. midnight madness

Ianto did not know why but the urge to giggle started as he danced about in the carrots, drawing the woman away from their well covering, then before he knew it he was singing as he danced, snorting and sniggering between verses as she slowly moved around the raised beds to reach him, almost like she was surprised as well.

The arrow made a soft shish sound and then a dull thuck. She folded. Jack lowered the bow and grinned at Ianto who looked back and then barked a warning Jack knew was probably too late as he swung to find the male on him.

The gunshot was so loud it was almost deafening and Ianto spun to look at Toshiko in her shooter's stance, the small handgun clasped between both hands with professional aim.

"Well done that woman!" Ianto crowed, moving around the house to check in case there were any others. He found Suzie around the front with her rifle at her hip scanning.

"I thought I heard something that way but nothing is moving" she said softly.

Ianto considered, "Cows in that field. The shot might have spooked them, was it a rumble like hooves?"

"Could have been" she agreed, "Ianto, be careful."

He was walking to the edge of the drive, his eyes scanning the darkness beyond the dim glow of the houselights. He saw cows, then he saw something else, "Dogs. Looks like a pack of them"

"Friendly?" she asked.

"They seem to be moving through, not attacking or chasing the stock so I would rather let them just keep moving through. Crypto is still locked away but he might want to defend if he sees them." He called back softly, crouching to see if there was anything else.

Jack walked around to stand by Suzie as she said softly, "Can he really see out there?"

"T1 enhancements" Jack replied, "Elite Force, that one. Yeah, night vision, advanced hearing and I think he's empathic if not also mildly telepathic. He was one of Yvonne's favourite pets until he technically bit her hand. I can't remember the full story but apparently it's only the fact they can't Retcon him that he wasn't fired."

"I told her to go fuck herself, about the same time I sent you that hand you were slathering on about" Ianto said loudly as he rose to face him, "Lisa was still a pet, I was looking for a way out."

They headed inside with the agreement that in the light of day they would dispose of the bodies, there were too many things moving out there. IT was too dark.

Ianto went back upstairs to reassure the dog who smelt him and looked intently at his face to see if he was really OK.

Ianto lay there cuddling the dog, hoping sleep would not come.

.

.

.

.

"Lissy?" Ianto entered the house, pulling the mask from the suit, "Matches love?"

He looked around the room, the half made sandwiches still laying with the peanut butter jar open on the bench top. Something had distracted her?

"Lisa, come on" he called again, walking through to the kitchen to the sitting room and he noticed several things at once. Crypto was behind the sofa, a strange snarling, gobbly noise as he moved so far back Ianto couldn't reach him "Hey buddy what's wrong. Come to Tadda."

Again the dog clacked its jaws together as it made the strange noises of fear and Ianto felt movement, "Lisa, thank fuck, did you not hear…"

Ianto reacted, swinging the axe that had been hanging from his wrist and it hit the doorframe as she slammed into him her snarling inhuman as she overpowered him and he was amazed at the strength of these things…things….just things…he swing again, this time clipping her scalp, the blood spurting out as he scuttled across the floor for the mask, slamming it on and rising to face the oncoming monster.

This time he was calm, this wasn't Lisa after all, this was some…thing….and he saw it now as the thing that had killed her, the thing that had caused her demise and the axe swung, imbedding in her skull. They both fell on the stairs and Ianto snarled as well, struggling as he removed the axe and swung again feeling it lodge in the wooden step.

As she started to convulse he slid from her body and crumpled into a heap to scream at the gods for their cruelty.

.

.

.

.

"IANTO!"

Ianto struggled from the bed to open the door, Jack entering to grab him in an embrace, "Hush, it's OK. Hush."

Ianto accepted the hug with confusion, not sure why Jack thought he needed…shit…the screaming.

"Did I cry out in my sleep?" Ianto asked.

Jack held him tighter, the heart rendering howl had been so horrifying he had thought it was the dog crying over its master. To find him alive had been a relief, gods but he thought he had cut his wrists or something.

Jack found himself growing invested in this man.

* * *

 


	7. settle for a regroup

Ianto came down to find Suzie and Owen were already moving the bodies, Owen autopsying them by the large hole Jack had dug.

"I would rather burn than bury" Ianto said and Owen looked up from the grave.

"Smoke brought us, might bring others. This is not over the water table according to that map on the wall in there, best we sty to stay invisible mate. It was a solid idea when you didn't know how it was spread but now we know we are immune we don't need to sterilize like that." Owen seemed calm, even gleeful as he rose and lifted up the brain in the roasting pan.

Definitely no more roasts for a while.

Jack followed Ianto inside and watched him clear away nonexistent clutter in the kitchen, "You like things shipshape don't you."

"Used to being in small spaces" Ianto replied without looking back at him, "Like things where they are supposed to be."

"Easily grabbed without thinking about it" Jack nodded as he sat at the table "My bunker under my office is like that, some people thing it's like a little army pod."

"Pod" Ianto repeated softly, "That was they call them in space? You spent a lot of time in pods. Owen needs proper boots."

"Yeah" Jack was amazed how quickly Ianto seized on something and then let it go as he continued to move about the kitchen.

"So, Owen is shagging Suzie but likes Tosh who has no idea?" Ianto asked conversationally and Jack snorted. "Or him that she likes him too?"

"Yeah"

"Bummer Suzie knows then" Ianto added and Jack laughed this time, agreeing again then watching the mug swing in his direction.

"Ahhhh….nectar of the gods" Jack sighed happily as he drank the coffee and Ianto settled to watch with his own mug, the smell calling the others who happily collected mugs waiting.

"Not at my table" Ianto said with that same gentle voice and Owen swung the dish he was about to put down away to find space on the top of the fridge.

"Just a quick look, wanna freeze it so it's easier to cross section, wish I could" he explained and Ianto hummed.

"Ice box works, told you remember?" Ianto pointed to a small white cupboard and Owen knelt to open it revealing a state of the art battery powered bar freezer. He looked at Ianto who shrugged.

"They liked their creature comforts, careful of the ice-cream, I might kill someone who contaminates that" Ianto smiled.

"Right, now we are all here…huh…I was gonna say staff meeting but it sounds a bit dumb. How about group meeting" Jack said and they all settled, Tosh happy with the perimeter sensors she had already set up.

"I think this is our best spot to wait this out" Jack began and waited for complaints, Ianto first to speak.

"I agree"

They all turned to look at him.

"This is far from a town or village that might entice pillagers, also far enough from homesteads that passing …gods we need a name for them… things… will be less and maybe easier to control. Fences or something? Toshiko and her sensors are brilliant, I have some old security cameras here somewhere in the attic that were solar powered, Grandy never put them up." Ianto pointed up, making Jack smile.

"If we keep to ourselves, there might still be some hard times ahead but until we know what the situation is I suggest we wait" Toshiko said as she smiled at Ianto and Ianto noted Owen's scowl as someone else took her attention. "We need to recover from the suprise and take time to work out some sort of answer to what happened, a plan for movig forward."

"I want to explore more, see who and what we still have around us" Suzie added and Ianto nodded as did Jack.

"I would suggest the farmstead to the north first, it has horses" Ianto flicked a thumb over his shoulder as he spoke to Suzie, "Can you ride? Those things hear pretty good so an engine might be a death knoll. A horse will still be faster than one … I guess. We've not really seen one in action, not in daylight. Have no idea what their true speed might be, they might have poor night vision too, why they were containable."

"Shit he is right there" Owen nodded "Maybe if we do see some, test that theory, see if the fuckers can run."

"As long as I run faster" Suzie agreed and Ianto let his eyes move to Jack who was thinking the same thing.

Faster than what?

Or who?

"Explore now" Owen said as he rose from the table, "Can I go to the attic and look for those cameras?"

"Look to the corner near the chimney. Explore away. Only room off limits is mine, it has the cat inside who is still getting over his snatch and grab" Ianto nodded, "My Castle is your Castle."

Jack leaned forward as the team started to move around them, "Are you OK with this?"

"Yes Jack" Ianto nodded trying out the name and noting the pleasure in the man's eyes when he did "I say we dig in."

Jack rose and was almost out the door when he caught the soft, "Until your Doctor comes."

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So ends this part.

Next part will be…. "Incoming" …take of it what you will.


End file.
